Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio have efficiently secured court-ordered sanctions towards an legal professional who filed what a federal decide deemed a baseless lawsuit accusing them of involvement in a weird alleged sex-trafficking scheme tied to Diddy/”>Diddy.

U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks dominated that legal professional Travis Walker should pay $7,500 for submitting an amended grievance that included “objectively frivolous” claims with out correct investigation.

The lawsuit, filed by Palm Beach resident Manzaro Joseph, alleged he was drugged and kidnapped in 2015, then transported by way of a non-existent underground tunnel from the Estefans’ former Star Island property to Diddy’s close by house, the place he claimed a number of celebrities assaulted him.

The courtroom discovered the allegations “beyond implausible,” citing geographical impossibilities and public information that instantly contradicted the timeline and presence of the accused.

Estefan’s authorized workforce had warned Walker prematurely. Letters despatched on April 2 and April 28, 2025, outlined evident inconsistencies in Joseph’s story, together with the declare of a tunnel between the houses.

Engineers confirmed that Star Island’s man-made basis and excessive water desk make such a construction bodily inconceivable. The letters additionally famous that LeBron James, one other named defendant, was taking part in NBA video games in Cleveland through the alleged occasions.

Despite these warnings, Walker filed an amended grievance on April 11. The decide dismissed it on July 24, calling it a “shotgun pleading” that lacked readability and construction.

The subsequent day, Estefan’s attorneys filed a movement for sanctions.

Judge Middlebrooks agreed that Walker failed to fulfill the authorized normal for pre-filing investigation. The courtroom stated Walker relied closely on Joseph’s account with out verifying key information.

He submitted imprecise surveillance stills, a redacted police report with incorrect dates and an affidavit from Guillermo Farinas—a suspended legal professional beforehand sanctioned for submitting meritless lawsuits with the identical plaintiff.

Walker argued he had reviewed medical information, police paperwork and spoken to witnesses. But the courtroom discovered these efforts inadequate, particularly given the high-profile nature of the defendants and the intense nature of the accusations.

The decide wrote that “a reasonable attorney would have done more investigation.”

The courtroom declined to sanction Joseph, citing doable psychological well being issues and emphasizing that the accountability rested together with his legal professional.

The Estefans, who offered their Star Island house to Diddy in 2021, have denied any involvement within the alleged occasions.

Gloria Estefan beforehand dismissed the tunnel declare as “fantasy,” and Diddy-freak-off-claims-theyre-gonna-have-to-pay/”>Emilio Estefan has publicly vowed to pursue authorized motion towards Joseph and his authorized workforce.

“We’re going to have to put a lawsuit against them because, you know, we work hard to develop a reputation for many years,” Emilio stated. “They’re gonna have to pay, you know, probably do like an apology and tell that all that was a set-up, try to make money.”

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